Are "independents" really independent?

For 2301's - as we approach a discussion of elections in the near future. The answer is, well it depends on why people call themselves independent. Is it because they are truly in the middle of the political spectrum and are equi distant from the two major parties - or are they so far to the right or left that Republicans are too liberal or Democrats too conservative for them. This matters, because people often make erroneous statements about independents and assume they are up for grabs by either party. They are not. The following graph shows that independents that lean towards one party are almost identical in opinion towards Obama as party identifiers. Very few people are truly independent - only 7% according to this chart.





Consider this post - Three Myths about Independents - required reading.